Blind Date
by ImaginedRain
Summary: Story on hiatus, possibly discontinued - Blind dates never go the way you expect them to. Friends who are too helpful. Annoying date. Stalkers. Some dates are just not good for your health. But the aftermath is even worse - AU, human names used, DenNor Denmark/Norway
1. Chapter 1

Blind Date

Chapter One

Lukas had a look around. The bar wasn't that bad a place. But he would have preffered to go to different place for a first date. Especially on a blind date! He knew he should have never let Tino convince him to go. But no one could say no to Tino for long, and there were two very good reasons for that.

The first was that Tino could pull off the best kicked puppy look in existance and he was very stubborn. If there was something he wanted, it would happen. Not that the Finn was spoiled or lazy. Tino worked very hard for himself and his family.

The second was the large ominious Swede always following after Tino like a large glaring, meatball eating, furnitur making cloud. Now Lukas wasn't exactly intimidated by Berwald – and he knew better than most people that he wasn't a bad person - but those looks combined, over longer periods of time, would make even a brick wall crumble.

A small voice inside him – a voice he tried very hard to ignore – told him that maybe he had accepted because he didn't want to be alone anymore. He shook his head. That voice always sounded suspiciously like his brother, though he couldn't quite deny it was true.

But as he sat there, in the bar, alone, with a drink in his hand, watching as his date beat yet another guy in arm wrestling, he couldn't possibly imagine why he thought he wanted _this_.

Mikkel – the guy Tino an Berwald had said would be _perfect_ for him – was certainly not a bad looking guy. In fact Lukas would go so far as to call him pretty attractive looking. But good looks did not make up for an annoying personality. The first thing the Dane had done when they met earlier was to announce to the entire room that Lukas was 'his' and everyone else better back off.

Lukas was tempted to just walk off right then, but he decided he would endure it for at least an hour to get his friends and his brother off his back. He wasn't exactly sure when this 'date' had turned into something for him to use to prove he didn't _really_ need to be in a relationship. Probaby somewhere between getting lost on his way from the bus and then waiting for half an hour for his date.

Said date just beat another guy and looked way too happy with himself. Lukas looked away and pretended to be very busy with his drink when Mikkel looked over. He did that every time he won, and Lukas knew he was trying to impress him. While he was arguably flattered, the Norwegian was far, far from impressed. He had hoped that Mikkel would stop and actually _talk_ to him if he didn't pay attention, but apparently it was more interesting destroying shoulders and egos.

Lukas siged – which was more than he normally did but by now he had quite a few drinks in his system – and got up, leaving his empty glass on the table. He debated – very breifly – on wheter or not to tell Mikkel he was leaving but decided against it. He didn't want to give the guy his phone number or anything and he'd figure out eventually.

So – slowly – he made his way out. From the way the room was moving he decided he might have had a bit too many of thise drinks. But just sitting at a table, alone, for well over an hour wasn't exactly fun. And those drinks had been so _yummy_!

* * *

_''Yummy? I've got to get home''_ Stumbling out the door he decided against taking a taxi. The driver always wanted to _talk_ to him, and while some people might enjoy a chat Lukas certainly did not.

His friends always laughed (Tino) and called him painfully shy (Sigurður), but there was nothing wrong with not likinkg people he didn't know. He wasn't really worried about getting lost on the way back to the bus station even though he had no idea which direction to take. He figured that if he just walked around for long enough he'd get there eventually. And he'd just have to hope there were still busses going when he got there. If not then he'd just _have _to call for a taxi. Or worse, call _Sigurður_.

Having to be picked up by your little brother because he was a bit more than tipsy and had managed to get lost in the city he'd _grown up in_ would be more than a little embarrasing.

* * *

Lukas sat down at the bus stop bench.

_''When did I get here?'' _

He decided that it didn't really matter. He was where he was supposed to be and according to the electronic sign his bus would be there in seven minutes. He was just getting comfortable – or as comfortable as you can get on a hard wooden bench – when he noticed suddenly that he was not alone.

There was a man standing about a meter away from the bench on the opposite side from where Lukas was sitting. Oh well, people take the bus all the time and he decided to ignore him.

He checked the sign again. Still seven minutes now. Bus stop minutes always seem to last an eternity.

He glanced at the man again.

_''I've seen him before''_

He tried to remember but his thoughts kepts spinning away from him.

Light brown hair, dark eyes and a lightly stubbled chin. He was probably a bit more than half a head taller than Lukas. No bells ringing.

The guy suddenly glanced in Lukas' general direction – but not straight at him – before continuing to stare across the street.

And then it clicked. He'd been doing that all night at the bar! How could he have forgotten about that! Lukas sighed again.

_''Why didn't I just wait for Mikkel?'' _It might have been annoying and boring, but at least he most likely wouldn't have to worry about potentially having to protect himself from a guy with unknown strenght while intoxicated.

He continued to watch the guy from the corner of his eye as inconspicuously as he could, but he figured he wasn't very successful. Every time the guy glanced over he quickly looked away again, feigning innocence.

The bus finally arrived, and Lukas made sure to sit as far away from the guy as he could.

* * *

I just read this over quickly and I'll probably fix it up more later. I'm not sure when you can expect a new chapter. Could be anything from a few days to a couple of years.

There will be more Denmark later btw.

Their names are picked from the list of possible names Himaruya has chosen for them. Thank you QueenHappo for making me name them! :D

PS: The letter ð is pronounced like the th in them/the/etc.


	2. Chapter 2

Blind Date

Chapter Two

I might come back to this chapter and change it a bit later.

Lukas - Norway

Sigurður - Iceland - The letter ð is pronounced like the th in them/the/etc.

Mikkel - Denmark

* * *

He must have managed to fall asleep, because suddenly the bus was not on the same street it had been a second earlier. They hadn't reached Lukas' stop yet though, so it wasn't really a problem.

He had forgotten about the strange man though.

Checking what stop was next, Lukas figured it would still be a while before they reached his stop, and he stifled a yawn. He had nothing against buses – he actually enjoyed taking the bus sometimes – but right now he really just wanted to get home.

Lukas checked the sign again when the surroundings started getting more familiar - his stop was next. He hit the stop button, stood up and went to stand by the door. The bus stopped and he stepped off.

He was getting less dizzy, which was good, but it was slowly being replaced with a killer headache. Right now all he wanted was his bed and a nice, long shower in the morning.

He could see his apartment building now. He'd probably reach it in a few more minutes. He hoped Sigurður hadn't turned off all the lights, or navigating the living room was going to be hell.

The Norwegian fumbled with his keys. He was almost there now and he liked to find the right key before reaching the door. This had become a habit from when he used to babysit one of his younger cousins who had a bladder problem. The kid was not amused when he'd tried to open the front door with the key to his bicycle lock.

When he stopped at his door, he didn't notice the second pair of footsteps that didn't quite stop when he did. Nor did he notice that the door was later to close than normal. He just wanted to get to his apartment as fast as possible and go to bed. The couch would also do. So would the floor. It didn't really matter as long as he got to sleep for about a year.

He finally got to his door and unlocked and opened it. But before he'd gotten it fully open, someone grabbed him from behind. A hand was clamped firmly over his mouth and another held on to him over his chest.

Lukas gave a small scream instinctively, but it was muffled and barely audible. He tried to pry the arm on his chest off. Tried to get loose, tried desperately to _fight back_! But it was no use. The guy was to strong and Lukas was to exhausted and dizzy to put up any real fight.

Before he knew it they were in the apartment and the guy had kicked the door shut behind them. It turned out Sigurður _had_ left some light on before he went to bed.

He was suddenly forcefully turned around against a wall while the guy pinned him there with his own body and the hand still covering his mouth. The man's other arm was now fumbling around with something in the bag he had slung over his shoulder. When he brought out a roll of duct tape Lukas doubled his struggles, dizziness and headaches be damned!

But the guy was still too damn strong for him. Either he must have had some sort of training in restraining people or this was not his first time doing this.

The man had managed to rip off a strip of tape using his teeth, and too quickly for Lukas to really do anything about it, he had removed his hand and replaced the tape over his mouth.

He was flipped again and his forehead hit the brick wall hard. While he was still stunned, the guy had managed to securely tape his hands together behind his back.

He now seemed to think he had won, because the pressure holding him to the wall eased. Lukas knew a chance when he saw one, and he kicked, as hard as he could, in the general direction of the guy. Normally Lukas was far from defenseless, but exhaustion – among other things – had slowed him down.

He'd managed to hit the guy in the stomach and he was forced to back up quite a bit.

The problem now was that there wasn't a whole lot Lukas could do in this situation. His best bet would probably have been to try and run. Not that he could. If he ran away and the guy for some reason decided not to follow him, he might find Sigurður. And Lukas would _not_ leave his brother at the mercy of a psycho.

_''What does he want anyway?''_ The thought hadn't really struck him until just then, but there hadn't exactly been any time to pause and think the situation over. But now that he'd gotten a short break – and sobered up considerably – he was finally able to actually process what was going on.

They didn't really have a lot worth stealing in their apartment, maybe except the TV and a couple of game consoles. They weren't anyone important either.

''You know,'' Lukas focused on the guy again as he spoke. ''Heh. This must be my lucky day. Good looking _and _feisty, this is going to be fun. For me at least, heh''

Lukas felt the blood drain from his face and his eyes widened in horror. If the guy wanted what Lukas thought he wanted, then he was in big trouble.

The guy looked puzzled for a second before he looked over his shoulder straight at the door to Sigurður's room. Lukas felt the blood turn to ice in his veins.

''I'm guessing there is someone is that room. Otherwise you probably wouldn't look at the door every other second'' Lukas shook his head wildly in denial, but all he was managing to do was tell the guy he was right.

Had he been looking at the door? He must have, unconsciously most likely. But it was only natural be worried about your little brother in this kinda of situation!

Without warning the guy turned back to Lukas and lunged at him. He grabbed both his shoulders and practically threw him through the living room. Until he hit a lamp and crashed to the floor, along with the lamp, which broke on impact.

Lukas tried to get up quickly, but this proved to be a challenge when he had about zero percent use of his hands.

The guy descended on him like a hungry predator, quickly straddling his hips and pressed his hands into his shoulders, sitting on him with all his weight.

Lukas was effectively pinned. No matter how much he bucked and twisted, the guy would not budge.

Suddenly Lukas heard a loud 'thwack' sound before the guy collapsed on top of him, unconscious. Making it very difficult to breath at all, with almost all the guy's weight on his lungs.

For a second all was quiet, the only sound being Lukas' quick loud breathing through his nose.

When the guy rolled off of him, Lukas was worried that he'd woken up again, but he relaxed when he saw Sigurður standing over them with a hockey stick n his hand. Why he had a hockey stick in the middle of summer Lukas had no idea and he didn't much care at the moment.

''You okay?''

Lukas just stared at him before mumbling something inaudible behind the tape. Sigurður sweat-dropped before helping Lukas sit up and, very carefully, removed the tape from his face.

''I'm fine'' Sigurður did not look convinced.

''You don't look all that fine.'' He told him before poking Lukas on the forehead.

To Lukas' surprise, it actually _hurt_, and he flinched away. Only to fall flat on his back again, not able to support himself without the use of his hands.

''Sorry'' Sigurður said with obvious guilt on his face. He helped his brother up again, this time helping him to stand on surprisingly shaky feet and getting him to sit on the couch.

Sigurður disappeared into the kitchen for a second before coming back with a pair of scissors. He made quick work of the tape binding Lukas' hands together, and Lukas was relieved to feel the blood flowing back into his fingers.

''I'm gonna go call the police''

Lukas just nodded. He was feeling exhaustion sinking it's claws into him and it was getting harder and harder to keep his eyes open.

He could hear his brothers voice like a sort of background noise. It was comforting, in a way, to know Sigurður was close by. And he probably hadn't let go of that hockey stick yet either.

Lukas almost smiled at the thought.

* * *

When Sigurður walked back into the living room – their phone was in the kitchen – Lukas was fast asleep on the couch.

It had been pretty terrifying earlier, when he'd gone to investigate a crash from the living room, only to find his brother being held down on the floor. He remembered he used to have nightmares about something like that when he was little. Only then it had been a monster and not a man on him. And Sigurður had never been able to arm himself and knock the monster out cold in the dreams.

It would be an understatement to say he was happy to have been able to save his brother when it mattered.

He went over to the man still lying on the floor and poked him in the head with his hockey stick a few times. There was no reaction. It didn't seem like he would be waking up any time soon. All in all Sigurður was pretty happy with his work.

He nodded to himself before going back over to the couch to sit next to Lukas and keep guard until the police showed up.


	3. Chapter 3

Blind Date

Chapter Three

* * *

Sorry for the super long wait. I haven't read this over, so I'm sorry for any mistakes. Please enjoy!

The letter ð is pronounced like the th in them/the/etc.

* * *

When Lukas woke up to unknown voices around him his first instinct was to run, though he wasn't quite sure why. But then he heard Sigurður's voice and he untensed his muscles – which he hadn't been aware of doing in the first place.

He opened his eyes and looked for the source of the unknown voices but whoever it was must have been either behind the couch or in the kitchen.

The pain in his head was close to unbearable. When he put a hand on his forehead to try and massage away some of the pain, even _more_ flared into existence.

"_What the hell?"_ Lukas brought his hand back down. He hadn't grown claws or anything.

It wasn't before he noticed the bits of glue on his wrist that he remembered what had happened. He groaned and put his head in his hands – careful to avoid his forehead – wishing he could just forget it all again.

The sudden appearance of a hand on his shoulder nearly had him jumping off the couch. When he saw it was only Sigurður Lukas was immediately embarrassed. He was supposed to be cool and collected in all situations! Especially in front of his little brother.

"You okay?" Sigurður asked him again. Lukas had a feeling he would be hearing that question a lot.

"I'm fine. Just," he sighed. "Just tired I guess."

Sigurður nodded. It was understandable that he should be tired after the night he'd just had.

"The police are here. They need to talk to you."

Lukas leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs. He really didn't want to talk to anyone right now. He glanced at his brother from the corner of his eye. Sigurður was standing next to him, waiting patiently.

Lukas sighed again and got to his feet. He didn't want to look weak in front of his baby brother. It didn't matter how understanding Sigurður was, it was a sibling thing.

* * *

Talking to the police had gone much faster than Lukas had though it would. Not that he was complaining.

But fast was not the same as easy.

Telling a couple of complete strangers – in front of his brother no less – that he had been followed and overpowered by a man who had wanted to do such... _Things_ to him was humiliating and difficult.

But he'd gotten though it somehow and the officers had left after he'd been cleared by the paramedic who had come with them. He was now headed for bed for some much needed sleep. His sudden nap earlier had given him enough energy for a short shower, after which he felt a bit better. He had the strange sensation of dirt clinging to his skin that he just couldn't get rid of.

He took a couple of painkillers for the pain in his head. He'd gotten a real nasty looking bruise on his forehead that even darkened some of the skin around his eye. The paramedic had reminded him that he shouldn't sleep after getting such a serious head injury in case he had a concussion. He'd been lucky.

He took his towel from his shoulders and tried to get his hair dry – again, being very careful to avoid his bruise – before throwing it in the laundry basket.

Yes, his hair would look horrible in the morning. No, it didn't matter.

He got under the covers and was asleep the moment his head hit the pillow

* * *

_It was dark._

_It was dark and he couldn't see and he was scared._

_He heard heavy stumbling steps and an angry voice. He hear sudden crashes. Something falling or breaking._

"_Please don't find me. Please don't find me" _

_He tried to stand but ended up on his face for his efforts. His leg hurt real bad and wouldn't support his weight._

_Tears filled his eyes as he sat up on his knees. _

_Suddenly the darkness was shattered and a giant man was staring down at him._

_The giant laughed cruelly._

"_Found ya! You little snot!" _

* * *

Lukas woke with a start staring up at the ceiling with wide eyes.

He'd been expecting some bad dreams after this whole ordeal but what was _that_?

He tried remembering the dream to analyse it but the details were fading fast. With a sigh he gave up and looked at the clock. It was early but not too early to get up and he didn't really feel like going back to sleep after that.

He went into the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee before opening the fridge. He stared into it for a moment before closing it and checking the various cupboards around the room before going back to the fridge. This continued until his coffee was done and he sat down at the table with a cup.

Sigurður came in a little while later clutching his pillow to his chest and still looking like he was asleep.

He sat down at the table across from Lukas and for a little while neither said a word. The only sound being sipping his coffee.

"Hmm, br'kfast?" Sigurður mumbled eventually. Lukas nodded before taking another sip.

Sigurður was quiet for a moment. "Pâté and cucumber"

Lukas nodded again and stood up.

"And could you give me the Honni korn?" The cereal was on the table before he even finished the sentence, followed by milk, and bowl and a spoon. "Thanks"

This was how they started the day most of the time. Lukas would never know what to eat and Sigurður never had anything but Honni korn. It was an odd routine but it worked for them.

"Are you gonna stay home from work today?" Sigurður asked when Lukas had fixed himself some breakfast and sat back down.

Lukas raised an eyebrow at him. It was true he didn't really want to go to work today, but he hadn't given much thought to staying home.

Sigurður stirred his cereal. "Maybe you should?" He let go of the spoon, letting it sink into the bowl, and hugged his pillow closer.

Last night had really scared him. And not just because a stranger had broken into their home. Ever since their mother died a few years ago, Lukas had been the one to take care of him. Their father had left when Sigurður was still very little and they'd never heard from him again.

Lukas had even dropped out of school and gotten a job to support them.

Opening his door to see someone hurting his brother had shook him to his very core. It made him _angry_. It made him _furious_!

But most of all, it made him terrified.

Lukas studied his brother. It was clear he was upset. Even he with his limited people reading skills could see that much. It was also easy to tell he hadn't gotten much sleep. Lukas didn't know if it was because he was plagued by nightmares like himself or if Sigurður simply hadn't gone to sleep. But it was easy to tell His little brother was exhausted.

Maybe I will. On one condition," he said holding up one finger. "That you," he pointed the finger at Sigurður. "Stay home from school."

Sigurður stared at the finger. "Duhhh..." Was his highly intelligent reply.

Lukas nodded like he'd said something that made perfect sense.

"It's decided then. We're both staying home. I'll call your school"

He ignored the fact that Sigurður was giving him a highly confused look and left the table to make said call.

After making a complete mess of a few of their drawers to find the correct number, he was able to get a hold of someone at the school.

Convincing the lady – Sigurður's home room teacher. Lukas had no opinion on her whatsoever. - that Sigurður was sick and had to stay home wasn't difficult. Convincing himself that he was keeping him home for Sigurður's sake and not his own was a bit tougher.

He just didn't want to be alone. It wasn't that strange, was it? And it didn't make him weak, did it?

He suspected Sigurður knew. He'd always seemed to know Lukas better than he knew himself. Probably because of how close they were growing up.

He caught himself staring blindly into space and quickly rejoined Sigurður at the table, hoping his brother hadn't noticed. He probably had.

He felt Sigurður staring at him and looked up from his food. It was quiet for a moment before Lukas got back up to call his co-worker, kicking himself mentally for forgetting.

Staying home was probably a good idea.


	4. Chapter 4

Blind Date

Chapter Four

* * *

AN: Someone asked about the ages of Lukas and Sigurður. The reason I haven't mentioned their ages yet is because I'm not sure what age they should be. I think Iceland is supposed to be around 16-17 physically in canon but I have no idea about Norway.

So I'll just say Sigurður is 17 and Lukas is in his early twenties. Same with Mikkel, Tino and Berwald.

Also, I am considering making one of the characters asexual. Though I haven't decided yet and I'm not sure who I would choose. Either Lukas or Sigurður.

* * *

They both turned towards the door when the doorbell rang. Which was strange considering you'd need someone to unlock the front door to get to they apartment.

Lukas hesitated on the couch where they had been watching TV, not quite sure why this bothered him so much.

Sigurður glanced at his brother before getting up to check the peep-hole.

''It's Tino''

Seeing Lukas relax again, Sigurður unlocked and opened the door.

''You're home early, Ice. Is something wrong?''

Sigurður shook his head and moved out of the way so Tino could enter. ''Not with me''

'Ice' was a nickname he'd gotten after their friends had found out he had been born while they were on Iceland. They had been visiting some family who was living there and right before they were going to go back, their mother had found out she was pregnant. After that she had plain refused to get on a plane in case it would hurt the baby.

Their father had gone back home, having to go back to work, but Lukas and their mother had stayed until after Sigurður was born.

''How did you get into the building?'' Sigurður asked while Tino removed his shoes. The Finn smiled, looking a bit embarrassed.

''Ah well, I accidentally typed the number for the lady who lived under you and she let me in'' he stood back up. ''And then she stopped me on the way up to talk. I don't think it can be good for her health to be that obsessed with cactuses''

Lukas made an agreeing sound from the couch. That woman had talked to him about it often enough as well. He made sure to be walking extra quietly when he got to her floor.

Tino thought little of the unenthusiastic response. This was Lukas after all.

"So, how did it go last night?" What do you think of Mikkel?" Tino asked energetically.

"He's loud, narcissistic and a show off. And he's very bad at paying attention," Lukas responded immediately, apparently not having to think about it at all.

Tino looked disappointed. "Was there nothing you liked about him?" Had he been anyone else he would have broken at the sight of the pout directed at him.

Lukas turned slightly to face Tino.

"No."

Tino gasped and rushed over to the couch at the sight of the massive bruise.

"What happened? Are you all right?" He paused and a dark look settled over his features. "Did Mikkel have anything to do with this?"

Tino was very protective of his loved ones, Lukas and Sigurður possibly more so than anyone else. They were as good as family to him.

And even though he was a bit on the short side and looked like a pushover, if it came down to a fight, it would take a lot for Tino not to be the victor.

Lukas gave the Finn an annoyed look and turned off the TV.

"It wasn't Mikkel," he glanced at his brother who sat down next to him on the couch. He shifted his gaze to the window, watching the clouds pass by. He sighed knowing Tino wouldn't be happy unless he heard the full story. No that they story would make him happy either.

"I left without him and someone followed me home"

Brown eyes went wide and Tino took a seat on the coffee table.

"Mikkel had gone off on his own and I got bored, and I might have a had a bit too much to drink. I didn't even notice he'd followed me before he grabbed me at the door."

Lukas once again told the story, hoping it would be the last time, but knowing he'd probably have to tell it again and again.

Tino just listened, looking shocked and quite pale.

"You shouldn't have left alone. You know that's dangerous!"

"I know that," Lukas frowned,"but I wasn't exactly thinking straight at the time."

Tino took a deep breath and let it out slowly to calm himself down. It would do no good to get worked up over it now. It would only upset the brothers.

He could rave and rant about it to Berwald later. And he would make sure Mikkel got an earful as well. This would not be easily forgiven!

Tino did not miss how close Lukas and Sigurður were sitting or how Lukas had moved slightly when Sigurður had sat down, so their knees were just barely touching. Nor did he miss the dark circles they were both sporting. They looked exhausted and uncomfortable. Tino hated being the current source of their discomfort but he could understand their want to be alone.

"Well," Tino rose from his seat on the table, "I'm going to let you two rest. I'm sure you've had enough excitement for a while."

He gave Lukas a pat on the shoulder as he passed, even though he desperately wanted to give him a hug – the poor boy just looked so miserable – he knew Lukas probably wouldn't appreciate it.

Lukas felt a shiver run through his entire body at the touch. It was as though every inch of his skin was crawling and a chill raced from the base of his skull to the bottom of his feet.

When Lukas flinched away from Tino's hand they all froze for a moment, realizing what had happened.

"I-I... S-Sorry." Lukas stuttered, keeping his wide eyes on the table but not really seeing it.

Tino and Sigurður looked at each other, confusion and worry clear on both their faces.

"Not- It's not your fault." Tino told him quietly and Sigurður nodded.

Lukas gave no indication that he heard, seemingly lost in thought.

Tino hesitated for a moment before walking to the door. "Call me if you need anything. Day or night," He waited for Sigurður to nod before he shuffled on his shoes and left.

The two sat in complete silence for a while before Lukas got up to lock the door.

"Do you... Want to talk about it?" Sigurður asked when Lukas had sat down next to him again. He heard his brother give a small quiet chuckle, barely more than a breath.

"You know me better than that." Lukas leaned his head on the back of the couch and stared at the ceiling.

Sigurður shrugged. "Seemed like the thing to say."

Another silence descended after that. It wasn't entirely uncomfortable – they were both quiet people and well used to quiet moments after all – but for the fact that they both felt like they should say something.

Lukas wanted to explain what happened, if he only knew how.

And Sigurður wanted to reassure his brother, tell him everything was going to be alright. If he only knew how.

Sigurður worried about his brother, as he knew his brother worried about him. Neither of them were very social people and, with the exception of Tino and Berwald – and Sigurður had a friend at school -, they didn't really have anyone but each other.

And if this new 'problem' wasn't a temporary thing it would be yet another barrier between Lukas and the rest of the world.

They were actually content with how things were, they didn't need to be surrounded by people to be happy. Quite the opposite actually. But society set certain standards it expects you to follow, and if you didn't have much of a social life or steady relationships you were viewed as creepy or weird. No one likes the 'lone wolf'.

"So, Mikkel really was that bad?" Sigurður asked when he got tired of doing nothing.

Lukas snorted. "The entire time I was there he sat at a different table arm wrestling half the guys in the room!"

Sigurður felt his eyebrows lifting. "Why?"

"Hell if I know," Lukas told him exasperatedly. "Most likely he was trying to impress me."

"He did a great job of that, didn't he?" Sigurður remarked as he stood up. He made his way to the shelf holding their video games and picked up a nice and violent one. Good for when he wanted to kill something and there were no Danes or potential rapists around.

Lukas watched him play for a few minutes before picking up his laptop from the side table.

Tomorrow they would have to return to their normal lives. Go to work and school and deal with the world outside of their apartment. But today they would relax and do nothing.

* * *

Lukas grudgingly set his alarm for seven in the morning. He'd never liked getting up early.

He lay down but was reluctant to go to sleep, worried he might have another nightmare like the one from the previous night.

But eventually his early morning came to bite him in the ass and he soon felt his eyes closing without being able to do anything about it.

* * *

_He was running._

_No he was trying to run. His foot hurt so bad. Half limping and half jumping on one foot he searched desperately for a place to hide._

_He was in the hallway staring at the front door. If he could make it outside he could go to the nice neighbour. He'd be safe! _

_But he could hear his heavy steps as he thundered down the stairs._

_He looked around himself wildly, practically throwing himself at the fist place he knew he could hide. The closet._

_His leg hurt horribly and he fell as soon as he got the door closed._

* * *

Sorry for the long wait. And sorry if it's short or whatever.

Next chapter we'll be seeing Mikkel again!


	5. Chapter 5

Blind Date

Chapter Five

If you think how Lukas acts and feels about and around people is too different let me know. I'm trying to put down how I myself feel when I'm in public, around friends or family and when I'm at work and how I think about it before. It's normally very different.

Also, Denmark is probably really ooc but meh. If it really, really bothers you, send me a message and I'll see if I can do anything about it.

I've made a tumblr account for any who might be interested. If you have any quick questions about my story or anything else feel free to send me a message.

imagined-rain. tumblr. com

* * *

Lukas woke with a start, staring at the wall. He realized he was holding his breath, still caught in the terror of the nightmare. He forced himself to breath normally and sit up. Tough his arms refused to let go of his pillow, clutching it to his body.

The fear he felt in these dreams was like nothing he'd ever experienced before but it all felt so scarily familiar. Less like dreams and more like memories.

Lukas nearly physically recoiled from the thought. The possibility deeply disturbed him.

A glance at the clock told him it was barely past five in the morning, but there was no way he was going back to sleep after that.

If he had the choice he'd probably never sleep again.

He sighed and got out of bed. Might as well take a shower and get ready.

On the way to the bathroom he caught a glimpse of himself in the hallway mirror and stopped. The bruise on his forehead was still disturbingly huge and painful looking. He could, in fact, feel a dull aching in his head even though nothing was in contact with the bruise.

It would be difficult to explain at work but he'd figure something out. He still wasn't sure if he wanted to tell his colleagues exactly what happened.

He showered, got dressed and made himself a pot of coffee. He was still uncertain when he'd finished his first cup and decided to just wing it when the time came.

He'd just sat down to watch some morning cartoons with his third or fourth – he'd lost count – cup of coffee when he heard the alarms go off in his and Sigurður's rooms simultaneously.

He heard the sound of Sigurður's alarm clock hit the floor and the annoyed grumbles that followed when it kept ringing. He smiled a bit and got up turn his own alarm off. He came back out just as Sigurður emerged from his own room.

Sigurður stopped and squinted at him, looking confused.

"How'd you get ready so fast?" He asked, looking like he was losing the battle against sleep.

"Magic," Lukas responded in a deadpan voice.

"Right, magic. O'course" Sigurður nodded as if this made perfect sense before stumbling his was to the bathroom.

Lukas shook his head, amused. Sigurður was adorable in the morning. If he told him Tino was Santa he's believe him without question.

He went back to the couch and his abandoned cup of coffee to wait for Sigurður to get out of the shower. He never had breakfast without his brother.

He sank into his seat and sipped his coffee slowly. He really didn't want to go to work today. Or leave the apartment for that matter. He felt a bit like a child thinking about it but it was just facts.

But the longer he put it off the harder it would be. Probably. He'd just keep telling himself that and he'd get out the door.

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be fine at work today?" Sigurður asked as they found some seats on the subway. His school and Lukas' workplace was just a few stops apart with the same subway. Sigurður hadn't been very happy about it when they'd first moved to their apartment. Felt like he was being babied. But he got used to it eventually.

But not without a generous amount of teasing from Lukas.

"Maybe you should stay home today too? It's no too late if you call them with your cell and-"

"Mother hen," Lukas interrupted him.

"What?" Sigurður looked confused for a moment before donning a half grumpy half insulted look.

"I am not a mother hen."

Lukas just smirked at him as his brother crossed his arms before going back to staring out the window.

Could he really do this? He was already feeling pretty uncomfortable with all these people around him. How would he feel with his co-workers hanging over him all day?

"_The longer I wait the harder it's going to be. I've just got to get through the day." _And what would come after would be dealt with in turn.

* * *

"Lukas?"

Lukas snapped out of whatever thought or daydream he'd been having – he honestly wasn't sure what he'd just been thinking about – and turned to the person addressing him.

Arthur stood a few meters away from him, by the door to the bookshop they worked at. His eyes went wide and he very nearly dropped his keys when Lukas turned to face him.

The Englishman cursed. "What on earth happened to you?"

Lukas shrugged and went back to watching the clouds pass lazily by.

"Nothing much," he practically felt Arthur's disbelieving stare. "I'd rather not talk about it."

Arthur sighed and unlocked the door. "Well, I'm glad you could come today in any case. Feliks quit abruptly yesterday. Said this place was far too dull and he was being suffocated by the atmosphere." He opened the door and waited for Lukas to enter ahead of him. "That is, of course, a rough translation."

Lukas gave a small, barely noticeable smile. He would miss Feliks. He really did brighten up the place, figuratively speaking. Though, sometimes literally as well.

But today he was glad he would be there. Feliks had this problem where he just didn't stop talking and Lukas wasn't sure if he'd have been able to handle the amount of questions he no doubt would have been asked.

"So it will just be the two of us until we get a replacement."

Lukas wasn't too disappointed by that. It was a fairly large shop but they got very few customers.

They quickly got everything ready and unlocked the door again when it was time to open, leaving it open to let the summer breeze in.

"How long do you think it will take to get a replacement?"

Arthur looked away from the computer screen. Most of their sales went through online purchases.

"I put an add in the newspaper this morning so we will just have to wait and see."

* * *

A bit later in the day Lukas was at the back of the shop, putting books back in order. They'd had a man in earlier who'd had a problem making his mind up. He'd rearranged the entire back shelf of sci-fi books. Left some on the floor too. And he didn't even buy anything!

Apparently he'd been looking for something they didn't have. And it didn't occur to him that he could ask either Lukas or Arthur _before_ rearranging everything. Lukas wouldn't have either but that's beside the point.

"_I at least would have the decency to put everything back the way it was!"_

He'd been too busy fuming too himself to hear the voices at first but when he did notice he realized that Arthur must have been talking to someone for quite some time.

They were too far away too hear exactly what they were saying and Lukas' curiosity got the better of him. The books weren't exactly going anywhere so he decided it would be safe to go investigate

"Everything seems to be in order and I don't believe we will have any other applicants." He heard Arthur's voice as he got closer.

"_Someone applying for the job already?"_ Lukas had been sure they'd be waiting for weeks – at least – before they got someone to take the job. It took three months before Feliks applied in the spring.

"When can you start?"

"Tomorrow." That voice was scarily familiar. "If that's alright. It gets boring sitting around doing nothing," this statement was followed by a laugh and that confirmed it.

Just_ what_ was_ he_ doing there?

Lukas nearly stopped to hide behind a bookshelf but he forced himself to take the last few steps.

"I'll see you tomorrow at eight thirty. I look forward to working with you. Not a lot of people care much for books nowadays."

The man currently shaking Arthur's hand was indeed the tall, annoying Dane he'd hoped never to see again. Even though he could only see his back Lukas would recognise that hair anywhere.

"Ah, Lukas," Arthur noticed him skulking about in the background. "This is Mikkel. He'll be taking over for Feliks."

"We've met." Lukas said gruffly, crossing his arms and leaning on a bookshelf.

Mikkel seemed to have frozen when Arthur said Lukas' name but turned faster than should be humanly possible when he spoke.

Lukas saw his face drain of colour when his wide eyes landed on his forehead.

Arthur looked between them for a second. "I'll let you two have some privacy. I'll be in the back if you need me."

Lukas nodded his thanks as the Englishman retreated into their lunchroom.

Mikkel took one hesitant step towards Lukas but no more. There was still quite a bit of space between them.

Mikkel seemed to be at a loss for words. Like there was a lot he wanted to say but he wasn't sure how or if he should. It was easy to tell he wasn't used to being in a situation like this.

Though, neither was Lukas for that matter.

"So, what did Tino tell you?" Lukas knew the Finn well enough to know he'd probably called Mikkel right after he got home, to give him a piece of his mind.

The Dane gave a nervous breathy chuckle.

"A lot. He yelled at me until his phone ran out of battery, then he borrowed Berwald's and picked up where he left off." The smile dropped and his eyes fell to the floor. There was a pause.

"I'm sorry." He looked back up and his eyes found Lukas'.

"I'm so sorry. I never meant for any of that to happen!" He took a step to his left and stopped. It looked like he wanted to start pacing but was stopping himself.

"And I'm sorry about how I acted at the bar. I just... I got nervous and I didn't know what to do. I don't know what happened, I've dated lots of people before and that's always gone great!

"But then I met you and you just, I don't know, you were special, kinda. Talking to you felt different, just being around you felt different. Like-like... I don't even know how to explain it! But it was nice and it freaked me out that I could feel like that around someone I just met.

"So I did something I knew I was good at to sort of calm down or something, but I guess I got a little carried away."

As he was talking Mikkel had looked at just about anything but Lukas, but now his eyes found his again and Lukas couldn't help but feel kind of sorry for the guy.

The Dane looked so lost. He reminded Lukas of a baby bird that had fallen out of his nest andi didn't know what to do or how to get back.

Lukas got a bit angry at himself for comparing Mikkel to an animal. Cute things were his one big weakness. Now he'd never be able to stay mad at him!

"So, I'm so-" Mikkel tried to apologise again but was interrupted.

"I forgive you."

"Whubbawha?"

The strange response and extremely confused look on Mikkel's face was almost enough to make Lukas smile.

"I forgive you." He repeated. "It was completely your fault what happened after I left and even if it was the worst date I've ever been on, at least it's gotten everyone off my back about seeing someone."

The Norwegian shrugged before walking away, going back to the sci-fi shelf to continue working. He wasn't exactly surprised to hear quick footsteps following him, though he'd hoped the other would take the hint that the conversation was over and leave.

"S-seriously? You forgive me? Just like that?" Lukas had never heard anyone sound so surprised. He nodded.

"Well that's great then." Mikkel seemed to recover quickly. "So how about a second chance?"

Lukas paused and glanced at him. The Dane seemed to attempt making it seem like he didn't care whether Lukas accepted or not. But it wasn't entirely successful, there was a great deal of hope in those eyes.

Lukas continued to arrange the books. Doing something with his hands helped his mind work.

"I'm thinking," he stated simply when he saw Mikkel was about to say something.

It was true that Mikkel was somewhat annoying, and loud, and narcissistic, and had a short attention span, and he talked to much. But now that there was just the two of them, e seemed slightly less intolerable.

Lukas remembered when he first met him at the bar, Mikkel'd had a slight rosy blush across his face. Back then he'd been convinced the Dane had already started on the alcohol, but from what he had said earlier, it sounded like it had quite a different cause.

That simply his presence had induced such a strong reaction in the other man gave Lukas a sort of fluttering feeling in his stomach. He didn't know exactly why, but he liked it.

When Mikkel started helping him, putting the books on the top shelf right – the ones Lukas couldn't quite reach comfortably –, it reminded him that that from the next day and on they would be working together.

Would a workplace relationship work out or would it end in disaster? Lukas had no experience with that sort of thing.

But he had a feeling Mikkel wouldn't simply give up and that might be just as detrimental to a good work environment as a failed relationship.

Because that was what they were talking about here. Mikkel clearly wanted more than just a few dates.

Lukas stopped working and looked at Mikkel. For all his faults he seemed like a good man at heart. And Lukas knew he himself was far from without fault. If Mikkel could see past that then so could he.

But now he had a new obstacle. How could he have a healthy relationship with someone if he couldn't even touch them?

Mikkel finally noticed him staring and gave him a quizzical look.

"_Does he even know?"_ Lukas certainly hoped so. It might get a bit awkward to explain.

"Is something wrong?" Mikkel asked, noticing the downtrodden expression the Norwegian was sporting.

Lukas looked away, facing the bookshelf but making no move to continue working.

"Did Tino tell you about... My new problem?" Lukas asked him,careful to kepp his voice emotionless. He surprised himself by realizing he actually _wanted_ to be with the Dane. Quite a lot actually. But Mikkel struck him as someone who was quite fond of touching. And if Mikkel couldn't keep his hands to himself, they were going to have some problems.

The taller looked confused for a moment before understanding dawned.

"Oh! Yeah, don't worry, there will be no touching unless you say otherwise." He held up his hands, palms out, and grinned.

Mikkel's reply and enthusiasm had surprised Lukas and he was sure that it showed because the grin on Mikkel's face widened.

"Really? You're sure?" Lukas couldn't help but be a bit sceptical. Did the Dane really know what he was getting into?

"Well, yeah," he lifted a hand to the back of his head in a surprisingly shy and uncertain gesture. "Like I said; I've never felt like this about anyone before and I just really want to spend more time with you."

Lukas knew he meant as more than co-workers or friends.

He couldn't deny his own feelings either, who were making their presence known. He wasn't sure why he suddenly felt so comfortable around someone he _knew_ would undoubtedly be a boundless source of annoyance. He just did. He supposed not everything needed an explanation.

He turned to fully face Mikkel again.

"You get one more chance." Lukas held up his index finger to emphasize the point. "Dinner and a movie. Saturday. You're paying."

Mikkel practically beamed at him.

"You won't regret it! I promise!"

Lukas had to keep from telling him not to make promises he had no way of knowing if he could keep. He didn't want to be negative, so he settled for simply nodding once.

He motioned for Mikkel do follow him and walked back to the front of the shop.

"This is my address," he told him as he scribbled it down on a piece of paper which he then handed to Mikkel.

"Five o'clock. Don't be late."

"Yes, sir!" The Dane gave him an energetic salute before practically skipping out of the store.

"Lukas stared at the door after he was gone, wondering if this really was such a good idea.

Behind him he head Arthur come out of the lunchroom.

"Wouldn't think he was your type." He stated simply as he started clearing away some papers from the desk.

"I thought you said you were going to give us some privacy." Lukas crossed his arms and leaned on the desk. In all honestly he knew Arthur would probably be listening to them.

The Englishman gave him a look over his paper.

"You come in to work looking like you lost a fight with a semi, and you expect me to leave you completely alone with a strange man. A strange man you do not seem particularly fond of too boot. Not a chance, young man, not a chance."

Lukas turned away so Arthur wouldn't see the smile he couldn't quite supress. There was only a few years between them, but still Arthur insisted on calling him things like 'young man' or 'boy'. It was never meant in a negative light and Lukas actually sort of liked it.

He looked at Arthur from the corner of his eye. Maybe he had a friend outside of his little 'family' after all.

* * *

I apologize for the numerous mistakes I probably left in there. If you spot one would you be kind enough to let me know?


End file.
